Gas leak explosion at Islamabad’s National University of Modern Languages
At least seven people were injured on Tuesday after an explosion triggered by a gas leak inside the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) in Islamabad, officials confirmed, prompting a swift response from police, rescue teams, and the university administration. The blast, which occurred around 4pm, sent panic across the campus as students rushed out of buildings while emergency personnel moved in to bring the situation under control.
Islamabad Inspector General of Police Ali Nasir Rizvi, speaking to reporters, said the incident took place when the university restored its gas supply after the summer season. He said gas had accumulated in the prayer room near a clerk’s office, and a short circuit ignited the leaked gas, causing the explosion. According to the IG, five students, a clerk, and a junior assistant were caught in the blast. The clerk sustained 60–65 percent burns, the clerical assistant also suffered burn injuries, while the students received relatively minor burns. Six of the seven injured were reported to be out of danger.
The police chief said multiple teams from Operations, Investigations, Special Branch, and the Counter-Terrorism Department inspected the site and ruled out any possibility of explosives being involved. He also confirmed that standard operating procedures were enforced immediately to shut down gas connections and instruct the NUML administration to inspect all gas lines. Authorities also directed the university to assess the structural stability of the affected building.
Rescue 1122 officials said the emergency service received the first call at 4:06pm, though the caller was initially unaware of the nature of the explosion. University representatives later informed rescue teams that the blast was linked to a gas leak, and emergency workers were able to contain the fire before it spread beyond the room where the explosion occurred. Visuals from the campus showed panicked students evacuating buildings as rescue officials worked to extinguish the blaze, while bystanders helped an injured person lying on the ground.
Islamabad Police spokesperson Jawad Taqi also confirmed that the explosion resulted from a gas leakage, reiterating that the rest of the building remained unaffected beyond the damaged room. NUML, originally established as the National Institute of Modern Languages in 2002, now functions as a full university offering undergraduate to PhD-level programs.
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